Nondri marks golden jubilee

By ELLY KALE
NONDRI Catholic Church in Gumine district of Chimbu will celebrate its golden jubilee this Sunday, July 28, 2019.
It is 50 years since the first missionary, a newly ordained, primary school teacher turned priest Fr Bob Oros from the United States of America arrived and established the parish on July 28, 1969.
Fr Bob Oros originally came to Papua New Guinea as a primary school teacher and was the headmaster of Dirima Primary School near Nondri before he went for studies at Bomana Seminary to become a Catholic priest. After his ordination at Dirima he personally requested the late Bishop John Cohill who ordained him and who oversaw Goroka and Kundiawa dioceses at that time to grant him permission to go to Nondri to set up a new parish.
Fr Bob was very interested in Nondri because he heard so many exciting stories, learnt about the abundance of food, flora and fauna and myths of cannibalism about the land behind the blue range from Dirima and Gumine district office.
One source of Fr Bob’s driving motivation and inspiration to go to Nondri was because of a young schoolboy named Kale from Gomba village, of Saa Kuikane clan. As headmaster, Bob Oros observed that young Kale never had a parent present during the P and C (parents and citizens) days, which was a major breach of school rule back in the day.
Bob Oros, called young Kale to his office and on his way to the office Kale already started crying because he knew he would be expelled from school. While tears rolled down his face like a fountain, young Kale whispered, “I come from behind those ranges. My parents and siblings are all there. I am the only one here.”
Out of sympathy, curiosity and a spirit of adventure and the desire to change people’s lives, the newly ordained priest left his comfort zone and the civilised world behind and took the six to 10 hours walking journey through the tropical rainforest to live amongst the Saakaleku people behind the blue mountains of Balpra, Wankoan and Makaua.

*The bishop of Goroka posing with some parishioners from Nondri parish who had received the sacrament of Confirmation a few years ago.*

A new parish was born and the Good News of Jesus Christ was brought to the people of Saakaleku consisting of four clans of Saa Bamingaulin of Amia, Saa Nigekain of Mukone, Yobamorua and Endian, Saa Kuikane of Gomba, Bretoba and Ebale and Saa Tobeku of Nondri – and the neighbouring tribes of Golin Aleku of Balabe, Mian Yobagaulin of Omekuria, Bamingaulin of Aiamaia, Mian Nigeku of Amia-aleku, Mian Kaleku of Kerwai, Mian Koiaku of Goril, Mian Tobeku of Mukone, Golin Kipaku of Tabaikul, Mian Dimaku of Elemale and Golin Neraku of Kalweri.
In this remote part of Gumine the church has been the shining light for the people of Saakaleku and the neighbouring tribes. Fr Bob Oros later became one of the most popular and loved priests in Chimbu for his charisma, empathy and the spirit of giving where he went beyond his priesthood duties to provide basic needs such as clothes, blankets, medicine and food to those whom he served besides his spiritual pastoral duties. He is also well known for hiring helicopters to transport material goods to this land in the middle of the mountains and forest where there is no road link.
Today, Nondri Parish hosts a primary school and an aid post that serves thousands of people including wards for pregnant mothers and children. The lives of the people of Saakaleku indeed changed, where children no longer attend distant schools like young Kale had done anymore.
Kale’s sacrifice paid off; he went on to become the first educated man from his tribe and is an accomplished educationist. He educated so many young men and women from Chimbu as a teacher and headmaster. He is well known in Chimbu and Gumine as Clement Kale Kaupa who almost snatched the Gumine Open seat in 1992 where he was runner up to late John Mua Nilkare.
Kale’s tears and Fr Bob’s bold decisions were not in vain; the Saakaleku people contributed a son to the Catholic Church as a priest. There are many sons and daughters of Saakaleku who graduated from universities within and outside the country and working in various organisations in Papua New Guinea with many more having access to formal education.
The future generations of Saakaleku will continue on the path and will not be ashamed of where they come from anymore. We thank God for the Good News that was brought to our land and the change that came forth with.
To commemorate the golden jubilee, Nondri parish community, friends and families living in Port Moresby gathered last weekend and made some contributions for this occasion.
May God Bless you to continue the mission of bringing the Good News to His people.

Elly Kale is a freelance writer.